ICRC: 18th Course in International Humanitarian Law (IHL) - Professionals and Policy Makers

Start Date:

Feb 03, 2014

End Date:

Feb 08, 2014

Venue:

Naivasha Country Club, Naivasha

Description:

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), established in 1863, works worldwide to provide humanitarian help for people affected by conflict and armed violence and to promote the laws that protect victims of war. An independent and neutral organisation, its mandate stems essentially from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, it employs some 12 000 people in 80 countries, it is financed mainly by voluntary donations from governments and from national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies.

ICRC is conducting its 18th course in International Humanitarian Law (IHL) from 3-8 February 2014 in Kenya.

The course is designed to acquaint participants with the international rules, principles and instruments applicable in times of ared conflict. It offers participants practical knowledge in IHL applicable in their fieldwork and their decision-making processes.

Events such as armed conflicts in different parts of the world confront us day after day with the cruelty of war and the suffering, death and destruction they cause. Humanitarian agencies can bring some relief to restore the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict. However, such agencies face questions of life or death for their beneficiaries and their staff members worldwide. On a daily basis, they must draw on a variety of tools to further their work and protect their personnel. One of the tools is IHL, designed to limit the damage of warfare and protect victims of armed conflict. It provides a normative framework to facilitate humanitarian action for all actors and agencies that are engaged in bringing relief to mitigate suffering caused by armed conflict. Therefore, it is desirable that humanitarian professionals and policy makers are familiar with the basic concepts of IHL and how they work in practice.

The 18th course provides in-depth instruction in the following broad themes:
• How IHL and other legal regimes are designed to protect victims during armed conflict and other forms of violence;
• The relationship between IHL and other legal regimes such as human rights law, refugee law, etc;
• IHL and the Conduct of Hostilities; the law governing means and methods of warfare; special protection to certain categories of persons under IHL;
• Ensure respect for IHL on the part of different actors involved in armed conflict;
• Challenges to humanitarian action in light of the changing nature of armed conflicts and violence.
Participants will be provided with both expert lectures and participative exercises based on the ICRC's experience in 150 years of humanitarian action and International Humanitarian Law. The course draws on the participants' collective experience to further illuminate the role and importance of IHL in the daily work of their respective organisations.

Participants:

The course is open to senior representatives of NGOs, international organisations, state agencies and humanitarian donor agencies. Applicants should occupy positions within their respective organisations with decision-making roles at the national, regional or global level. A legal background is not required. Completed application forms should be sent to the ICRC Regional Delegation in Nairobi by 6 December 2013. Participants are strongly urged to send their applications by e-mail.

Practical Details:
• Dates: 3-8 February 2014
• Participants are expected to arrive in Naivasha on Sunday 2 February 2014 (Check in) and leave on 8 February 2014 (Check out);
• A shuttle service will be arranged for all participants from Nairobi to Naivasha and back. Details will be sent to selected participants;
• Fees: USD 850 (full board accommodation, travel to Nairobi not included), payment to be made after selection process, via bank transfer;
• Participants are expected to make their own travel arrangements to and from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi if coming from abroad;
• Language: Participants must have good working knowledge of English. All working sessions will be conducted in English. The participants will be provided with reading materials on all modules included in the course;
• Programme: A detailed programme for the entire course and other practical details will be sent to selected participants;
• Venue: a beautiful lake resort town that is located in the Rift Valley, about 1 - 1 ½ hours drive from Nairobi. All participants will be accommodated in single rooms at the resort.
Enquiries: The International Committee of the Red Cross, Department for Integration and Promotion of the Law, Nairobi Regional Delegation, P.O. Box 73226, 00200 Nairobi, Kenya. Tel: +254.20.272.3963/3964 or 3965 / Fax number: +254.20.271.3003; E-mail: nairobi@icrc.org.

For more about International Committee of the Red Cross, refer to www.icrc.org/eng.

ICRC: 18th Course in International Humanitarian Law (IHL) - Professionals and Policy Makers

The International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC established in 1863 works worldwide to provide humanitarian help for people affected by conflict and armed violence and to promote the laws that protect victims of war An independent and neutral organisation its mandate stems essentially from the Geneva Conventions of 1949 Based in Geneva Switzerland it employs some 12 000 people in 80 countries it is financed mainly by voluntary donations from governments and from national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies ICRC is conducting its 18th course in International Humanitarian Law IHL from 3-8 February 2014 in Kenya The course is designed to acquaint participants with the international rules principles and instruments applicable in times of ared conflict It offers participants practical knowledge in IHL applicable in their fieldwork and their decision-making processes Events such as armed conflicts in different parts of the world confront us day after day with the cruelty of war and the s